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Messer Park Zoo reports spring attendance surge, new chicks and upcoming events
Summary
Messer Park Zoo and Botanical Garden staff reported a major attendance day, three penguin chicks, an expected colobus monkey birth and listed upcoming events and the annual plant sale.
Messer Park Zoo and Botanical Garden staff told the Parks board on April 2 that the zoo experienced a large spring break attendance day, several new animal births and several upcoming public events.
A zoo staff member reported that on the last day of EVSC spring break the zoo recorded about 3,500 visitors on a single day, helping lift March attendance. “We had 3,500 people show up to the zoo that day,” the staff member said.
The zoo currently has three penguin chicks across different adult pairs, and staff said they are anticipating a colobus monkey infant any day. The staff described voluntary ultrasound monitoring through mesh and noted training behaviors that allow keepers to conduct observations while maintaining animal and staff safety.
Nut graf: The update highlighted increased public engagement at the zoo and emphasized upcoming seasonal programming, including an Earth Day event and the long-running plant sale that draws thousands of visitors.
The zoo’s Party for the Planet (an Earth Day event) is scheduled for April 12 and coincides with an alumni picnic hosted by the University of Southern Indiana (USI); staff said both events will bring several thousand additional visitors that day. The annual plant sale will be held the first full weekend in May (May 3–4), with a members-only preview on Friday, May 2. The zoo also listed additional spring programming, including staff-run educational events and family activities.
Ending: Zoo staff said they would continue monitoring animal care and staffing needs as attendance increases and will update the board on outcomes from the upcoming events.
